If you were born before the late 80s or early 90s, the word ‘Napster‘ is synonymous with completely disrupting the way anyone with access to a computer equipped with dial-up Internet service could consume music.
Sketchy song titles, people mixing up artists like “Soft Cell” and “The Clash”, slow downloads, and the first-ever DIY ‘mix CDs’ once those ‘burners’ came long – to music lovers who felt, rightly or wrongly, that they’d been subjected to overpaying for albums for the past five years, it was a welcome, hands-on process.
But even younger music fans and creators remember what would come next for Napster. (Read: Confusion, fear, and some wealthy artists taking legal action…catch up here.)
A Web 2.0 relic that laid the foundation for a wave of music piracy while simultaneously inspiring the future of digital music consumption, the Napster brand was ultimately bought by Rhapsody – a popular music streaming platform that TuneCore has proudly distributed independent artists’ music to for years – in 2011.
‘Why?’ people wondered, ‘What are they gonna do with that?’
Well, yesterday Rhapsody has announced that it is rebranding as Napster in the U.S. They had already been using the Napster brand in other countries. The company said:
“Rhapsody is becoming Napster. No changes to your playlists, favorites, albums, and artists. Same music. Same service. Same price. 100% the music you love. Stay tuned!”
While we’re not sure exactly what’s next for the brand, we’re excited to continue calling them our partner! As they suggest, stay tuned – we’ll be sure to keep you updated on any developing details.
Photo c/o GadgetPipeline.com
If you’re a TuneCore Artist who doesn’t yet distribute to Rhaps—er, Napster, head over to your Store Manager and add your music today! Remember, any connotations you had with Napster can be shaken off, as it’s functioning as a totally legal streaming service on the main stage helping artists earn revenue – and we’re psyched to be partnered with them.
Tags: anti-piracy featuring indie music music business music industry music streaming napster rhapsody streaming